Between the Hammer and the Anvil

[callmedelta]

River Marse

The Franerri army attempted what cautious counter battery fire they could. There was nothing for the infantry to shoot at yet, so there was nothing they could do but hunker down and pray. For the artillery, meanwhile, they had to stow their guns in the bunkers between the air raids where they were more vulnerable, only able to attempt the counter battery fire when they only had to deal with the comparatively inaccurate howitzers. Even then, most Franerri guns lacked the range to hit all but the closest Galran guns. If Franerre lost too many of their own artillery pieces now, they might not have the fires to throw back the Galrans when the real assault came.

Galran Occupied Franerre

With the influx of Galran airfields, proper Galran airfields and not just strips of dirt, a wealth of targets just opened up. But with the increased troop presence to come along with them, the type of strikes the RPG was envisioning was going to be a lot harder. Still, it had to be done. In the meanwhile, with at least some captured equipment, now the RPG could afford to try and gamble on capturing more. Supply convoys would be the next target on order.

Saint Challan

They were running out of time. The die had to be cast, and now. With the Galrans amassing their troops to the north of the city, it was decided what was left of the defenders would break out to the southeast. In the dead of night, every Franerri person with a gun and many without would charge the Galran lines with the ferocity that only the damned and the desperate could muster. Death was behind them, but all they had to do to reach the hope in front of them was get on the other side of the Galran lines.

[Greywall]

Casualties

Galra: 5 field guns, 120 standard infantry
Frannerre: 50 field guns, 120 standard infantry, 900 conscripts (Saint Challan escape)

[Greywall]

River Marse

Galra was still shoring up their crossing, it was determined that they would wait till the summer for the river to be shortened by evaporating due to the intense Toulian summer heat in order to cross. In the meanwhile they lobbed field gun fire at the Frannerri side, steadily fed ammunition by supply trucks flowing through Eastern Frannerre from Wochourhiel. Counter battery was taken seriously to limit Frannerri artillery strikes and to damage any serious firepower remaining in the Frannerri army.

Galran Occupied Frannerre

With the new Galran front being pushed to Elenria, many occupation roles fell to the conscripted colonial Galrans, local natives forced into service or even dare say Frannerri being used to show the locals that their own would cooperate with the Galran Imperial State. More forced labor projects were being planned, Jameson wanted better roads and eventually rail lines feeding his troops into Frannerre and Tafatu to continue the invasion Westward. Rumor speculated he was furious with his Shiysil allies coming up short which gave some small hope the SU wasn't immortal, however it would be dampened by the rumors coming that Ferville was on the verge of falling and the Tafatu Republican army was nearly shattered.

Saint Challan

The Frannerri would be detected by roaming patrols as Galrans engaged them, armored cars and motorized trucks rushed Galran troops to the scene allowing them to cut down several Frannerri soldiers. The Galrans wouldn't pursue however, allowing the ones who survived the slaughter to escape. They finally had Saint Challan, the city was an utter wreck but its procurement allowed firm control of Northeastern Frannerre.

[callmedelta]

River Marse

As tough as the decision was, the surviving Franerri field guns were pulled back and new defensive emplacements would be prepared. These would hopefully be out of range of the Galran guns, while giving Franerre the opportunity to shell the Galrans as they landed on the Franerri side of the Marse. In the meantime, the infantry would have to dig in for one hell of a winter.

Galran Occupied Franerre

There was still plenty of tension in the occupied parts of Franerre. It seemed like the Galran policy towards the Franerri had changed on a dime -- there was no telling it wouldn't change back. Finding work for the forced labor projects was hard. Most able-bodied men, and plenty of able-bodied women, had either been conscripted by the Franerri Army or killed by the Galrans themselves. Those who did get conscripted were doing poor work. Slow work, pretending not to understand instructions, and doing their jobs wrong were all common practices of industrial sabotage.

[Greywall]

River Marse

Galran forces began attempting the Marse using boats and sending at bulk infantry, 20,000 light infantry began their crossing with boats and begin landing on the Frannerri side to establish a foothold. They would slowly bring over equipment and better armed troops over time. Galran medium bombers and biplane bombers would fly ahead at half strength to bomb Frannerri positions West of the River to dislodge Frannerri forces and rattle defenses. Reports that Tafatu would fall soon and allow a bypass of the entire river meant Jameson could simply wait but still he sent his forces to secure the river and would link up with his forces coming North from Tafatu. He ordered his engineers to begin work on a bridge to allow armored units and artillery to be pulled West it would be finished in a season.

Jameson began drinking fine wine stolen from a Frannerri vineyard and after enjoying the vintage he made a personal order to his precious private battalion, the 983rd a conscript unit of basically militia from the colony, to steal all the casks of Frannerri wine for him across the occupied territories.

Galran Occupied Frannerre

The Airfield was destroyed, several planes were destroyed and the refueling and rearming of several aerial missions in Frannerre was disrupted. This caused a force of 10,000 conscripts (militia) to begin scouring the occupied territories and seizing any citizens they felt were connected to the underground. Harsh and brutal interrogations would be underway as they sought answers. Homes were burned, citizens were lynched publicly and more punishments were inflicted. Anyone with information on the underground were offered 200 Banknotes and six months worth of food.

300 citizens were killed with 4000 wounded.

[callmedelta]

River Marse

The Galran forces trying to cross the Marse would run into their stiffest resistance yet. The fortifications on the Marse were no simple trenchlines. Concrete bunkers and pillboxes, using the new Ashinaran techniques allowed them to better resist artillery strikes. The Franerri Air Force, as small as it was, had been transferred to the Galran front, now that the Marse had been deemed at such risk. They flew sorties and interception operations of their own, marking the first time Galran and Franerri planes had ever dueled. The 20,000 Light Infantry and the bridge being set up would meet Franerri fires, both from field artillery positions closer to the front and from the new 1,000 siege guns, with long enough ranges to put them out of range of Galra's own artillery. 50,000 Light Infantry, 500 field artillery, and 250 anti-tank artillery from the newest wave of recruitment would be deployed to the River Marse as well. This was where Franerre would make her stand. 

Southern Franerre

100,000 Light Infantry, 1,000 field artillery, and 500 anti-tank artillery would begin to set up fortifications in the south. These would begin as simple trench lines, with more proper fortifications being set up at a slower rate due to the lack of infrastructure making it harder to move large quantities of material in in addition to the supplies the Infantry needed. Additional rail and telegraph lines would begin construction south to help alleviate the issue.

Galran Occupied Franerre

All the 10,000 militia members had done was give the RPG a target. Flying columns of partisans would organize to strike at militia targets, then dissipate as soon as the fighting was over and any weapons had been scavenged. Major General Montagne began to run a brutal guerilla campaign. Not of simple raids and infrastructure damaging, but of battles and territory. Making sure that any Galrans who went through certain territories would pay with blood. Trying to liberate Franerre in whatever small, disconnected scraps of land he could. Juste, meanwhile, focused on the exact type of infrastructure damage Montagne didn't. The rail lines and roads Galra was attempting to construct were his favorite target. It was impossible to fight a war with no supplies, after all. That wasn't to say that Juste didn't care about the Galran army or militia at all, however. Instead of stand up fights, his partisans would focus on assassination strikes. Cutting the head off the Galran snake. Perhaps, even that of Jameson himself...

[Greywall]

Casualties

Galra: 400 light infantry, airfield destroyed
Frannerre: 200 standard infantry, 10 field guns

[Greywall]

River Marse

With their crossing units under heavy fire, Galra ordered them to endure and press ahead. Galran artillery guns would open full salvo slamming the Frannerri side of the river giving the exposed crossing units much needed relief. Aircraft were redirected to hit the Frannerri side of the river and provide close fire support for the Galran infantry. Galran infantry that made it to the other shore were under heavy fire, using their shredded boats for some cover they weren't making much progress into the assault. 

As they identified the amount of defenses Franerre had they attempted to send multiple troops back to inform their side of how heavily fortified the Frannerri were. Galran aircraft engaged Frannerri planes over the river, creating the first few dogfights between the two nations since the war started. 

It didn't last long. 

Galran Lancers made short work of Frannerri bi planes shooting them down with ease. 


The Galran river side would be ignited with hundreds of field guns, howitzers and siege guns firing on the Frannerri side as a another wave of 20,000 light infantry were prepared to cross. Jameson wanted to be in the capital by the end of the year or force Frannerre to accept total demilitarization and surrender. 

Galran troops firing a field gun at Frannerri soldiers at the River Marse

Southern Front


50,000 conscript infantry, 10,000 light infantry, 10,000 standard infantry. 5,000 dragoons, 10,000 carabineers, 200 field guns, 50 mortar artillery, 5,000 bike riders, 200 armored cars, 100 tankettes, 10 landships. All began their crossing into Southern Frannerre after the fall of the Tafatu army, this force approached Frannerre eager to flank the river defenses and whole fully give Galra a victory in Central Touli finally. They found themselves facing Frannerri troops digging in and once again in another fight. Galra set its artillery up before sending their cavalry units to attempt to swing far west and far east looking for an attempt to flank the Frannerri early on. Leading the ground assault would be their landship fleet which had devastated Tafatu during the entire war with ease, several companies of conscripted infantry following behind them. 

Another warfront had been opened as Jameson felt confident Frannerre couldn't keep up the fight for much longer, he telegrammed Galran high command that the fall of Frannerre was expected. 


Occupied Frannerre

Eastern Frannerre was erupting into open warfare as resistance members engaged Jameson's 45th vanguard, the 10,000 strong militia force was reporting heavy engagements across Eastern Frannerre sending an alarming redflag to Jameson, the East was becoming harder and harder to control. He had requested more troops from Wochourhiel and received 20,000 more militia members with a stern warning. "we are being spread thin". Colonial Galran forces were deployed to their utter max and further troop deployments meant continental reinforcements would be needed. Galra was sending 300,000 proper troops to the West, Jameson was gambling that their deployment would pull pressure away and he was really gambling the Frannerri would surrender allowing him to redeploy into Elenria. The entire Frannerre war was a headache to him, while he defeated Tafatu the Frannerre were digging in and fighting tooth and nail to resist Galra. He needed the heavy armor that was out East fighting Ulster-Gaelia and Valdera here. But he couldn't argue with high command, to them Frannerre was a third world shithole, an easy target he should put down. 

The flush of new militia troops were positioned on roads and vital railroads being built using enslaved Frannerri men and women. Civilians were brutalized in retaliation for the attacks, lynchings and even public burnings of heretic Frannerri gave the Galran men something to feel like it was revenge being done. But the resistance continued to grow in Eastern frannerre. Jameson placed himself in a small seized farm in Northeastern Frannerre, his own personal guard of 300 special infantry to protect him while he commanded the front. 

[callmedelta]

River Marse

The Franerri air force retreated, broken. It was a disaster. Each plane was irreplaceable, and any amount of losses were too much. And for what? Practically no damage had been done. Air Marshal Leclere called for an immediate withdrawal of his planes back to the Shysil front where they were more useful. Zelgius protested, arguing how the planes could be sent to reinforce the southern front, but when he received reports from Ranulf stating how he needed the planes, he relented.

Meanwhile on the front itself, the defenders of the Marse still held steady. The Galran artillery was a danger, but the Ashinaran technology allowed the Franerri bunkers to be much more resistant to artillery before, so casualties were light. Those damaged were only the ones on the front lines where the men couldn't stay in the deepest parts of the bunkers, needing to fend off the Galran invaders. Armed with the newest Lusatian machine guns that could be produced, they continued to tear into the Galran invaders despite the losses.

Southern Front

The Franerri anti-tank guns tore into the Galran armor. They had no trouble against the armored cars, tankettes, or even Galran landships. Once the Galran armor got within 500m, they were dead to rights. The Franerri began to open up with their artillery on any infantry who came within range. For the time being, the Galran cavalry divisions were still being met by Franerri resistance. But most of their manpower had been concentrated close to the river, Franerri resistance becoming sparser as the cavalry went further westward. It was hard for the Franerri forces to adequately cover the entire front. With this threat in mind, while it was a risk, Franerre stripped 20,000 of the 50,000 Standard Infantry that had served to guard Pareau and the surrounding area from naval invasion to prevent any breakthroughs by the Galran cavalry.

Occupied Franerre

The militia and their commanders became target number one for the Franerri resistance. They were seen as weaker than the Galran standard infantry who had been occupying Franerre, and their greater numbers meant that they made life harder for the Franerri on average. Organizing into flying columns, they met for an attack and broke after scavenging the dead for their weapons. Clearing the roads were the first target for Franerre, but now they aimed for the railraods too. They had to -- any rail links into Galra were an existential threat to Franerre and the resistance with how many supplies the Galrans could bring in. To hopefully spread the Galrans even further, raids into Wochourhiel itself were authorized to strike at rail and road logistic lines.

[Greywall]

Casualties

Galra: 1,200 light infantry, 1 Galran Lancer, 2 light tanks, 10 landships.
Frannerre: 1,234 light infantry, 3,000 militia

[Greywall]

River Marse

Galran artillery pulverized the Frannerri side of the Marse as light infantry stormed across the frozen Marse, under intense Frannerri machine gun and rifle fire these Zealots lost little heart, turning the ice into shades of crimson. But the Frannerri weren't holding them off easily, enemy artillery decimated miles of trees baring the shores from shade, if it wasn't Galran artillery hammering the Frannerri it was now unchallenged bombers and CAS fighters taking free shots at defenders below. 

Jameson smirked, as he observed the heavy artillery fire slamming the other side of the river. "I'll be in Pareua soon, tell me what of these damn insurgents?" his officers detailed while they were actively hunting down and killing dozens if not hundreds of Frannerri insurgents it seemed as if they wouldn't stop. "I want them killed, we can't risk our supply lines being cut. What about my armored reinforcements?" 

"All sent East"
"Gaelia?"
"Xaspesh."

"Xaspesh? Some armpit shithole? Whoever is in command has lost it. We need to break these third world onion eaters now so we can focus on Elenria." 

Southern front

The countryside of Southern Frannerre was an utter open warzone as Galran artillery opened up to hit Frannerri artillery and anti tank positions, infantry moved through the country launching attacks with cavalry moving and looking for a weakness to exploit. Galran forces pressed harshly against Frannerri troops forcing the defenders to either withstand heavy suppressive fire or give up their ground. 

Occupied Frannerre

Militia forces continued their hunt for Frannerri insurgents with slight success in exterminating entire towns affiliated with the underground. With logistical lines being threatened it clearly became a problem that the militia couldn't really handle, Jameson was forced to pull heavy troops off the front after his requests for reinforcements went ignored. 5,000 heavy infantry joined the militia in sweeping for Frannerri insurgents. 

[callmedelta]

River Marse

The Galran artillery still did little to the Franerri bunkers themselves, moreso tearing up the area in front of them providing cover in the craters for the advancing Galrans. It was the bombers and the CAS that was proving the most trouble for the Franerri defenders, as there was nothing that could be done about them. The Franerri siege artillery, meanwhile, focused on hitting the River Marse. If the Galrans were going to march over it, then Franerre would shoot the ice out from under them. The siege artillery would focus their fire on the areas under the most pressure by the Galrans.

Southern Front

Sensing the danger the cavalry posed, General Pape, the man in charge of the southern defenses, kept his new 20,000 Standard Infantry as reserves to counter any holes in the line that the cavalry may force. While they would no doubt be slower, this would hopefully mean that any holes created by the Galran cavalry would be plugged before their infantry could follow through and exploit it. Elsewhere on the front, the Franerri artillery would take counter-battery shots on the Galran artillery wherever possible, continuing to hammer the Galran advance where that wasn't possible.

Occupied Franerre

Juste was beginning to grow worried at the scale of Galran reprisals. As much as he despised the Galrans, there still needed to be a Franerre to liberate, not a pile of ashes and embers. What's more, the destruction of villages was beginning to have an affect on partisan operations. He'd already deployed cells to Wocherwal -- that operation was had too much momentum to cancel, and a complete Galran railroad was still too much of a danger to let happen. The remaining partisans in the field would shift to a more defensive posture, protecting towns against Galran retaliation. In the meantime, Juste returned to his plans to cut the head of the snake. If Jameson could be killed, that would be worth any amount of reprisal. Of course, he'd gone underground, and it would take some time to find him. The man still had to deliver orders. The first step in finding where Jameson was would be to figure out where the orders came from.

[Greywall]

River Marse

Jameson had lost his patience; he wanted this front over and done. He ordered 400 cannisters of Chlorine gas to be fired on the Franerri side of the river. Pillars of gas and massive clouds would been seen flung at the Frannerri as Jameson had grown tired of the hardened Frannerri resistance. In a way, this showed he could not cross the river in a conventional sense, Frannerre was simply dug too deep. He would have to wait for the gas to dissipate. But once it was gone he would send 10,000 standard infantry to cross the river by boat. 

Southern Front

Galran forces were still stuck in a stalemate, Frannerri forces fought fiercely forcing Galran armored units to make up where the infantry groups were coming up short, Shiysil losing Saint Parsson was a blow to SU operations in Frannerre forcing Galra to readjust aerial assaults further West to stall off Frannerri forces. Jameson had his forces rest here, if the gas attack on the Marse succeeded he wouldn't need the Southern front to break through. But with Shiysil failing to hold ground it meant his forces would have to possibly surge forward or hold ground.

Occupied Frannerre 

For months the Galrans had forced the local Frannerri to construct a new railroad that connected the colony to Eastern Frannerre to ship supplies and troops into Southern and Northern Frannerre. The Northern line would support the Elenrian invasion force while the Southern would support the occupation of Frannerre. 12,000 Galran troops were pulled from reserve bolstering the occupation force to a 25,000 strong force sweeping the occupation zone for the insurgents. 

[Greywall]

Casualties

Galra: 300 standard infantry, 100 heavy infantry, 10 landships
Frannerre: 10,000 standard infantry, 10,000 light infantry

[callmedelta]

The casualty reports made Marshal Zelgius's heart sink. This was unsustainable, especially when considering equipment consumption rates. Franerre's fall was now a matter of when, not if. Still, it was impossible for Zelgius to retreat here. It would be suicide in every sense of the word. The Marse was still the most defensible position between Pareau and the frontlines. Both from the prospective of natural barriers, and the man-made fortifications that were already in place. The Franerri army would have to stay until staying was a greater pain than leaving. To enforce that, Marshal Zelgius instructed his officers on the ground to promote so-called 'morale enforcers.' Any soldiers attempting to flee before Zelgius had given the order would be shot.

River Marse

Franerri artillery would fire shells at max capacity to drive off the Galran invaders. Soldiers would be instructed to use wet cloths and to stay in place to prevent damage from gas attacks, as little a comfort as it was. Zelgius would use any reserves he had to counterattack at any fortifications that fell, no matter how many men it cost.

Southern Front

The Franerri anti-tank guns still had the Galran's armor dead to rights. It was their artillery that still caused more damage than anything, yet it was simultaneously the hardest to counter. In a desperate attempt to do just that, small raiding parties would be sent out at night to attempt to sabotage Galran artillery as much as possible.

Occupied Franerre

Juste ordered his partisans to hit the railroad with anything and everything they could. This was the exact type of infrastructure that could not be allowed to exist on Franerri soil. It allowed too much men and material to flow into Franerre, widening the already asymmetric gap between the Galran and Resistance equipment.